Birmingham City manager Chris Davies believes that Krystian Bielik understands the challenges the club will face in their pursuit of promotion from League One, despite his recent remarks.
In a post-match press conference on Saturday, Davies emphasized the difficulty of climbing out of the division, even with the investments made to bring in quality players during the summer transfer window.
The Blues have started the season strong, remaining unbeaten in all but one of their league matches and only dropping five points—two of which came on the opening day against Reading, when the team was still finding its rhythm.
| Birmingham City’s 2024/25 campaign so far | |
|---|---|
| (League games only) | |
| Games | 9 |
| Wins | 7 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Losses | 1 |
| Goals scored | 17 |
| Goals conceded | 9 |
| League position | 1st |
| (Figures correct as of October 7th, 2024) | |
The remaining points were lost in a 1-0 defeat to Charlton Athletic at The Valley last weekend.
While it wasn’t a particularly bad result for Davies’ team on paper, it provided rival fans an opportunity to criticize Birmingham following Krystian Bielik’s comments from late last month.
Krystian Bielik’s Provocative Remarks About Birmingham City
Birmingham appears to be the frontrunner in League One this season, showing strong performances in the early matches, which many anticipated.
At the end of last month, Bielik sparked controversy with his comments, suggesting that he believes his team is too talented for the third tier. He stated on BBC Radio WM: “While we’re currently in League One, I don’t see any players on this team as being League One caliber. Each of them is at a higher level. In six months, we’ll be a Championship team and a completely different force. We remain humble, keep our feet on the ground, and aim to avoid getting ahead of ourselves. But the reality is we’re too good for League One.”
Chris Davies and Matty Godden respond to Krystian Bielik’s comments following the clash with Charlton Athletic.
Birmingham manager Davies stated that he was unaware of Bielik’s comments but emphasized that the Polish international understands the challenges of competing in the third tier this season.
After Saturday’s match, the 39-year-old said, “I honestly had no idea he said that. From our perspective, we need to recognize that this is going to be a significant challenge, and Krystian fully grasps that.
“I’m not entirely sure what the interview entailed or what he mentioned, but he knows the hurdles we face. Every game is crucial and presents a unique test for us, and that’s where our focus needs to be.”
“As I’ve mentioned from the beginning and continue to emphasize, this league is incredibly tough. If anyone thinks they are above League One, it can become a significant challenge.
“I’m not implying that we do think that, but it’s the reality we face. We visit venues like this that are challenging, against teams that are eager, hardworking, and possess quality.
“We must take time to reflect on this, recover properly, and ensure we correct our mistakes in the next match.”
Despite Davies’ remarks, Charlton striker Matty Godden, who netted the winning goal, acknowledged that Bielik’s comments served as motivation prior to the game, stating, “Yes, those comments were all over the dressing room.”
Birmingham City needs to stay grounded in their pursuit of promotion.
Birmingham City is currently the team to beat, naturally prompting opponents to elevate their performances against them.
However, if they come across as arrogant, it could give lower-league teams even more incentive to take them down. Therefore, players must tread carefully with their media comments.
While confidence is crucial, especially following a loss on Saturday, it’s important they don’t veer into arrogance. A sense of complacency could be detrimental, regardless of their talent, so they need to stay humble and focused on their work.